Press Release October 2008

Morgenster Releases the Exciting Tosca in its Italian Collection

The beautiful Morgenster estate, home to premium red wine and the finest extra virgin olive oil, is the culmination of the dreams of Giulio Bertrand, the inimitable Italian gentleman who made this Cape farm his home, and transformed it into a leading wine and olive estate.

And while Morgenster’s Bordeaux-styled red wines have shone in local and international competitions, Giulio Bertrand has always dreamt of making wine from the Italian varieties that are so close to his heart and native home. The Italian Collection sees the fruition of this dream and Giulio is proud to present the maiden release of Tosca, a seductive blend of Sangiovese grapes with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Italian passion and flair is world renowned, and here it is brought to life in two of the greatest symbols of this heritage: wine and opera. Puccini’s Tosca is a complex story of love, betrayal and passion set in Rome during the Napoleonic wars. The fervour and complexity of this opera come together in a wine that richly marries the flavour of cherries, tobacco and ripe Rosa tomatoes.

Morgenster Tosca 2006

Tasting notes by winemaker Marius Lategan: “Spicy aromas amplify the scent of cherries, ripe Rosa tomatoes, and dry leaf tobacco. On the second approach you’ll discover an underlying layer of aniseed and vanilla pod. The mouth-feel is super friendly and tantalises every taste bud with an unbelievable balance of fruit, natural grape acid and noble tannins in a state of early evolution, bearing great promise for its future. It is a wine with extraordinary elegance. Give it time to mature in the bottle and it will reward you with a full array of tertiary notes. If drinking now, decant to allow for evolution for about 2 hours.”

Food matches: In keeping with the cultivars, we make the following recommendations in Italian: Risotto con fragole (Risotto with strawberries); Vitello Tonnato (Veal with tuna sauce), Agnello in fricassea (Lamb with a lemon/bay leaf sauce), and of course to keep it in a South African context, Grilled Snoek with Cape Malay spices.

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